The Huntsman and the Snake
by brainenuggets
Summary: It's not all Akumas and Lucky Charms. A darkness has fallen over Paris as a terror from the past comes back to spill the blood of innocent victims. What does this killer want? Is he working with Hawk Moth? Can he be found and stopped before more people die? And why does he keep talking about snakes?
1. In the Dark

**First try writing for this lovely show. We'll see what happens.**

* * *

Black storm clouds blocked out the moon and starlight and a heavy fog blanketed the city. Most of the Parisians had turned in for the night, finding navigating the city too bothersome to attempt. And for the very few who still found it necessary to venture out, two costumed heroes busily patrolled the streets, keeping their beloved citizens safe.

It was on this dark and stormy night that a certain Chinese man was pulled prematurely from his slumber by a soft tapping at his window. He looked up at the shadowy figure outside and motioned for him to enter.

"I wasn't expecting you until the morning," the older man said. He busied himself preparing a pot of tea for his guest.

The stranger slipped through the window, silently closing it behind him, and looked down at the puddle forming under his feet. "I prefer the cover of night."

The Chinaman tossed him a towel.

"So, Master Fu, the message you sent me sounded urgent, though astoundingly vague. Do you plan on telling me why I'm here?"

Fu only smiled. "I thought you liked the dark, my friend."

The stranger, finished drying both himself and the floor, straightened and crossed the room. "Using the dark and being kept in it are two very different things." His voice was smooth, even. It could almost be called friendly. Almost.

The old man gestured for him to sit and handed him a cup of tea. "Would you mind me turning on the lights, then? I find that understanding can only be accomplished when one can see properly."

The stranger chuckled softly. "You haven't changed, Master." When the room was again filled with light, the stranger looked around the simple room. His gaze rested on an old trunk on the back wall and his eyes seemed to dance. "I assume Wayzz is still with you?"

At the mention of his name, the green Kwami poked his head out of his hiding place. He studied the stranger for a second before his face broke into an ecstatic beam of a smile and he zoomed to the stranger's side, nuzzling into his shoulder.

The stranger relaxed at the touch and lifted a hand to stroke the Kwami's head. "It's good to see you, my friend."

"Likewise, Benjamin," said Wayzz. "I didn't realize it was you who Master Fu had summoned."

Benjamin tilted his head, and smiled. "I'm still curious about why I was summoned at all. You two don't seem to be in trouble."

Fu grinned. "Have you been keeping up with the news, Benjamin?"

The young man ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair. It was still damp and stuck to his face where it grew longer. "Not really, Master. I try to stay current where I am and I have not been in Paris for several years."

Wayzz sat on the table between them. He glanced at Benjamin's tea and was happy to receive a wave of permission from the man. "So you haven't heard of Ladybug and Chat Noir?" He sipped the tea.

Benjamin frowned. "The rookie vigilantes who skip about the rooftops of Paris in their silly suits, pretending they're heroes when they're only sloppy wannabes barely surviving the fantastical revolutions of puberty?"

Fu laughed. "So you _have_ heard of them."

"And now you're going to tell me that these are yours, Master?" All pleasantries drained from his very aura as he all but glared at the old man. "And I suppose these imps are your reason for calling me here?"

Wayzz hovered in front of Benjamin's face with a sad look. "Please don't be like that. You know Master Fu is very wise and would not entrust the Creation and Destruction Miraculouses to just anyone. Hear him out, Benjamin."

The young man's frown faded just slightly. He looked back at Fu and asked, "What is it you would have me do, Master?"

* * *

Ladybug stood under one of the sun umbrellas at the top of the Grand Paris and frowned. Something felt off tonight. She just wished she knew what.

"Earth to Ladybug. This is Chat Noir calling Ladybug." He waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Aaaaand she's back!" He leaned toward her, resting his weight against his baton. His tail flicked as he studied her. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"Hmm? Sorry, what?"

Chat frowned. "What's on your mind, M'lady? What's _bugging_ you?"

Nothing. Not even an eye roll.

Chat Noir returned his baton to its place on his back and stepped closer to her. "No really. Is something wrong?"

Ladybug blinked. "Yeah. I think there is, but…" She looked out over the city as far as she could. The thick fog, the heavy rain, the dark clouds, they all made it almost impossible to see anything. "I… Maybe we should make another sweep. Just in case."

Chat's eyes widened. "Uh, LB, I admire your dedication to the super heroine game and all, I really do, but we've made three sweeps already in this rain and, well, my sui… Wet leather isn't all that comfortable, y'know?"

She seemed lost to her own thoughts again. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "I'd love to stay out here with you all night long, but nothing's happening and you look beat. What do you say we call it a night, hmm?"

Ladybug considered his words and smiled. "Fine, kitty. Go curl up by your warm fire then. I'll see you tomorrow night."

She turned to leave, but her partner held her there. He smirked at her. "I can see it in your eyes. You're going to send me home and then you're going out again." He released her. "And what if something happens, huh? You'll never let me hear the end of it!"

She giggled.

He beamed.

"So does that mean you're coming?"

"Only because this cat won't be 1UPed by a bug."

"We'll see about that."

They jumped off the roof of the hotel, laughing at the rush of adrenaline that hit them in their free-fall. Ladybug tossed her yoyo into the air, trusting it to latch onto something that she could not see for the fog. She felt the cable pull tight and she swung her body up into the air, releasing her yoyo's hold and tossing it again for another swing.

Chat Noir extended his baton, taking advantage of its force in hitting the ground to propel himself back into the air. He kicked off the wall of a building and jumped onto yet another building's roof. He raced after Ladybug, flipping, kicking, and barrel-rolling as he did so, hoping that his moves might impress her just the slightest.

They raced through the fog and rain for several blocks before Chat Noir suddenly slid to a stop.

Ladybug flipped mid-swing, changing her direction, and landed at his side. "What is it?"

The blonde headed boy probed the darkness. Having cat eyes definitely came in handy on low visibility nights like this. He saw something move in an alley below them. An odd metallic scent met his nostrils. "Something bad is happening."

A flash of lightning severed the sky, creating such a large boom that all the rest of the world seemed to silence at its voice.

Chat Noir's eyes took a second to readjust to the darkness. He peered into the alley again, but saw nothing.

"Chat?"

The black leather clad boy took Ladybug in his arms and used his baton to slide them down to the ground. He saw nothing. He heard nothing. He smelled… a faint trace of… something.

"What did you see, Chat Noir?" Ladybug asked, gently removing his arm from her waist.

"I don't know," Chat answered, too distracted to pout about her rejection of his touch. "I thought I saw someone down here. I thought–"

Another flash of lightning broke through the darkness, illuminating the world below with an ethereal glow.

"Hmm. That lightning was pretty close, M'lady. I'm thinking Paris would be better off if its heroes _weren't_ electrocuted to death by a simple storm."

Ladybug nodded, still feeling odd about the night. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I have a test to study for anyway… See you tomorrow."

With that, the two heroes parted ways.

If, perhaps, they had have listened to their instincts and stuck around for another minute or so, they might have seen a dark figure emerge from the shadows. They might have watched him bend down to get a good, long look at the water on the ground. They may have observed him shine a light on that water and they might have noticed the last trace of blood being washed away by the rain.

"Amateurs," the figure hissed beneath his breath. He opened his mouth and shut it a few times, then, deciding on a direction to go, he left the alley as a man on a mission.

* * *

When morning came, the city was in shock. Two bodies had been discovered down an alley. They had been savagely mauled to death by what appeared to be a wild animal on the loose. Their flesh had been shredded beyond recognition and testing was being done in hopes of discovering the victims' identities.

Authorities were recommending that people get home before dark, keep doors and windows locked, and not leave any kind of food out that might attract animals. The people where in an uproar. Two more so than anyone else.

* * *

 **Look. An OC. Will he be the star of the show? Psh! Nah. That's not how I roll.**


	2. School

**It gets darker before it gets lighter. Sry.**

* * *

"We were there, Plagg. I was there! I knew something smelled weird! That smell! That- that metallic smell was… was…"

Plagg's ears drooped as he watched Adrien's mind work all the pieces together.

"That smell, Plagg…" His voice dropped into a whisper. "It was…"

The cat Kwami took a look at his cheese, placed it back on the plate he had snatched it from, and floated to his human's side. He curled up on Adrien's shoulder and nuzzled his head into the side of the boy's face. "It's not your fault Adrien. You didn't know."

Adrien dropped onto his bed, suddenly very sure he would throw up. "I smelled blood. I… Someone was murdered and I was there and…"

"Adrien."

"And I just left, Plagg. I just left."

Plagg floated in the air and watched as Adrien lay back on his bed. The color had drained from his face. He stared at the ceiling almost as though he were willing it to crash down on him.

Plagg came to rest on his chest. He listened to the rapid pounding of his human's heart. For the first time in forever, he really wasn't hungry. "It wasn't your fault, Adrien," he whispered.

The boy broke.

* * *

Tikki watched in desperation as Marinette cried into her pillow. She had been trying all morning to comfort the girl. Poor Marinette had never faced a loss like this before. When fighting Akumas, her powers could undo all the damage done. But not even Ladybug could undo death.

Tikki had been around for a very long time. This wasn't the first time she had had to watch a Ladybug go through the struggle of missing that one clue or being a minute too late, but it never ever got easier to watch.

"Marinette, please…" Tikki whispered. "I know it hurts, but you just can't blame yourself. Unfortunately… these things happen." She lighted beside Marinette's head, stroking her hair. "Sometime you just can't save everyone."

"But I was there, Tikki!" Marinette gasped. "I was there and I knew I shouldn't have left, but I did. What if I could have stopped it? What if I could have found who or whatever did it? What if–"

Tikki could only watch as Marinette was overcome with another wave of emotions. She knew that the girl would blame herself for this. She knew that this instant would haunt her forever.

She also knew that Marinette and Chat Noir had now been given the opportunity to take this moment and grow from it, or allow it to tear them apart.

Tikki wondered what they would choose.

* * *

Benjamin raked his hands through his thick, brown hair, leaving it a fluffy mess atop his head. He studied the images on the screen so closely his eyes were beginning to burn.

To any normal person, the explanation was clear: A savage animal of some sort had come across two innocent passersby and had ruthlessly murdered them. To any normal person, that was as unusual as the explanation should get.

Benjamin, however, had seen his fare share of horrors straight from the nightmares of the most twisted minds. When he looked at the bloody heaps of flesh in the photos, he couldn't see a freak accident. He couldn't see a random attack.

No. What Benjamin saw disturbed him in ways no one else could understand.

Benjamin saw a calling card. A taunting message.

 _I'm back, Benny boy. Come and find. Stop me if you can._

Benjamin wanted to scream. He wanted to throw his laptop through the window, overturn the tables, and splash his piping hot coffee on the first person who looked at him the wrong way.

"Those are some pretty gruesome pictures you're looking at."

Benjamin looked over his glasses at the thin, aqua haired girl. Her long, brightly colored locks were half tied up in two messy buns on either side of her head while the other half danced wildly over her shoulders and down her back. Her long, side swept bangs covered half of her left eye and wrapped its way around her short face. Her right ear was adorned with a line of studs on the outer edge and one purple feather attached to her earlobe.

The girl wore ripped, neon yellow tights and an off the shoulder, grey shirt under black, distressed, short overalls. Spiked combat boots adorned her feet; her icing on the cake.

Compared to Benjamin's simple, denim shirt, maroon slacks, and loafers, the girl looked a hot mess. Still, he attempted to tame his bushy hair and smiled at her.

"Good morning, Eryn," he said, standing and extending his hand to her.

Eryn smiled and shook it. "Wow, Ben, you never call, you never write. I was beginning to think you had given up on your weird, subconscious need to be surrounded by criminals."

Benjamin pulled a chair out for her and reclaimed his seat. "Last I checked, you weren't technically a criminal. Didn't the mayor hire you to hack into some whatchamacallit to get a lead on some stolen thingamabob?"

Eryn took a swig of coffee. "Yeah. That's exactly how it happened. You've always been so good with words."

Benjamin passed his laptop across the table. "You've seen this." It wasn't a question.

Eryn nodded solemnly. "I know they don't have any positive IDs yet, but…" she pointed to the victim on the right. "I knew that guy. I swear I knew him. Jean Luc. We saw a movie together. He wasn't my type, but… He was nice."

Benjamin frowned. "Sorry." He opened another tab on his computer, opening a saved link. "What can you tell me about this?"

Eryn's smile returned. "The Ladyblog? Some highschool kid with the hopes of becoming a freakin' sweet journalist has made it her mission in life to learn everything about Paris' own super heroes. Why?"

"You know how to find the girl?"

Eryn tossed her bright hair out of her eye, drumming her fingers across the table. "You've been gone for five years, Ben. You ask me to help you cyberstalk some psycho murderer and then you up and disappear. You finally come back and all you want is to know if I happen to know the girl who blogs about her geek dreams come to life?"

Benjamin blinked. "Do you?"

"Duh! I wouldn't be me if I didn't."

* * *

Alya hugged her friend tightly, promising everything would be all right. Ladybug would find whoever or whatever had murdered those people and she would make sure it would never happen again. There was no need for Marinette to be scared. No need for her to cry.

Ladybug and Chat Noir had this.

Marinette had managed to gain control of her emotions by the time class was starting. Her eyes were still puffy, but Alya had helped her with her makeup to cover most of the redness.

The class gathered slowly and quietly that morning. All the students shared the same somberness behind their plastered smiles and cheap words. All but Chloe, of course. But no one really felt it necessary to pay her any mind at all.

The teachers taught halfheartedly. The students listened eagerly, in hopes that their lessons could distract them from the horrors of the morning.

Lunch hour came and no one moved. They picked at their food, but didn't feel like eating.

Alya watched Marinette carefully. The poor girl looked like she was fighting through some horrifying inner monologue.

"Marinette?" The dark haired girl looked at her. "It's okay. Don't be scared. Ladybug and Chat Noir will fix this."

"What… What if they can't, Alya?" Marinette burst. "You're always so sure of Ladybug and Chat Noir, but what if you're wrong this time, Alya? They failed last night! They had their chance to keep people from dying and they failed! Who's to say they won't fail again? How can you even trust them anymore?"

Marinette turned away from the shocked look on her friend's face, only to meet the grievous, green eyes of Adrien. Grievous. Broken. Guilty?

She blinked, feeling warm tears begin to swell and sting her eyes. "I… I think I need to go home." And with that, she gathered her things and bolted out the door.

The rain had stopped and the fog left, but the sky was still a lifeless grey and the air moist and sticky. Marinette fought the tears back as she ran from the school courtyard. She didn't notice the puddle at the corner of the street. All she knew was that her foot flew out from under her and her head was going to crash into the pavement below.

It would be painful, but maybe she deserved it.

Only her head didn't crash. Her body was caught in a pair of strong arms. She was gently lifted and set back on her feet. Hands moved to her shoulders, steadying her trembling frame and she looked into the kind, brown eyes of the young man who caught her. His dark, chocolaty pompadour was a bit disheveled as though he had been raking his hands over it time and again. A pair of square, black-rimmed glasses sat on his nose. The light from the lenses reflected onto his lightly tanned cheeks, almost distracting her from the stubble making its home on his face.

She briefly wondered whether he was growing a beard or had simply forgotten to shave.

"Hello?" he said. "Can you hear me? I asked if you were okay."

Marinette broke her gaze away from him, wiping the fresh tears from her face. "I'm just not feeling good, so I'm on my way home."

The man smiled kindly. "Maybe don't run so fast then. The streets are still pretty slippery, as I'm sure you've figured out."

Marinette gave a little laugh. It was then that she noticed the girl with bright, blue hair standing behind him. "Hey, you're Eryn, right? You come to my parent's bakery a lot. You're one of my mom's favorite customers."

Eryn grinned. "Cool! So you're the Dupain-Cheng kid. Aw, Ben, you've got to try some of her dad's goods. It'll give you a whole new outlook on life!" She gestured her arms wildly as she spoke.

The man removed his hands from the girl's shoulders. "I'll have to come by some time."

Eryn bounced to Marinette's side and threw an arm around her shoulder. "The kid's upset, Ben. She almost smashed her skull into the ground. We have to walk her home, it's the only right thing to do."

Ben smiled, though Marinette was sure she saw a fire of annoyance in his eyes. "Okay," he said slowly. "We'll make sure she gets home safe, grab some lunch, and get back to work."

Eryn beamed, beginning a never-ending chatter about the fantastical foods she would have her friend try. Marinette giggled at her, but frowned when she saw how stiff the young man had become as they walked to the bakery.

* * *

Alya watched the door, hoping beyond hope that Marinette would walk back through. She worried about how seriously broken her friend was over last night's incident.

"I don't think she's coming back, Alya," Nino said quietly. "Maybe it's better for her to take the day off like she said. She was pretty upset."

Alya hugged her bag to herself and sighed. "Yeah. But… She knows Ladybug and Chat Noir can handle this, right? You guys know that. You know our heroes will protect us."

"Yeah, because they sure did a good job of it last night," Adrien mumbled. He felt his bag fall against his leg and looked down to see two, green eyes staring up at him sadly. He gently pushed Plagg back into his bag, offering a reassuring stroke to the Kwami's head.

"You're right, Alya," Adrien said, turning to face her. "Maybe Ladybug and Chat Noir missed something last night, but now they'll be double–No!–triple careful the next time they're out on patrol. They'll make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

Alya beamed at him. "Wow, Adrien. Maybe you should go talk to Marinette about that. Your positivity might just rub off of her and get her out of this funk she's in."

"Maybe I will go talk to her," the blonde said, turning back to the front of the class as the teacher began her lesson.

* * *

At 3:17pm, Paris was hit by another wave of panic as two more bodies were discovered. A man and a woman. Their faces torn to shreds. Their bodies dumped in an alley.

No one had seen anything. No one heard anything.

An elderly man was out walking his dog when his nostrils were filled with the stench of raw meat left out in the sun. His dog barked and whined and pulled him into the alley where his eyes met the horrific reality of death.

Exactly one hour later, another body was found. This one was a boy of about thirteen years old. He was alive when discovered, though he slipped away on the journey to the hospital.

With his dying breath, he uttered a single word: "Huntsman."

* * *

 **Still working on that setup. It'll happen. Just wait.**


	3. Visitation

**Thank ya, for the kind words, friends.**

* * *

Nineteen missed calls, a plethora of texts, and her parents had been up to check on her every hour. Tikki tried talking to her, but Marinette couldn't gather the strength to talk back. She lay on her chaise and stared at the ceiling. Three more bodies. Three! And the last one wasn't even dead when they found him.

She ran to the bathroom and threw up.

How could anyone do that?

A gentle tapping stirred her from her thoughts. She went back into her room and looked up at the trap door.

A messy, blonde haired boy with bright, green eyes looked down at her. He waved a gloved hand and asked, "Can I come in?"

Marinette nodded, telling him the door was unlocked. She watched him jump through the opening and land in a cat-like crouch. He was clearly trying to impress her, though he seemed just the least bit shy as well.

"What are you doing here, Chat Noir?" She glanced over her room to make sure Tikki was hidden.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd _drop_ in for a visit with my favorite _purr_ incess."

"Uh-huh. Do you just pick random girls off the street and follow them home like a stray? We don't exactly know each other enough for you to just decide to visit me."

The boy's confidence deflated. "Ah, well… I really was in the neighborhood and I, uh, overheard some people talking about you and… how upset you were and, and…" The floor suddenly seemed very interesting. "I came by to apologize."

Marinette watched him, suddenly feeling very guilty. "Chat-"

"I messed up, Princess. I cut mine and Ladybug's patrol short because of the weather. If I had stayed out just a little longer, maybe I would have caught something and found whoever is doing these horrible things." He stepped closer to her. "I don't blame you for doubting me, but don't doubt Ladybug, okay? You can trust her and you can rest assured that she and I won't stop until we figure this out. We won't give up. We'll work harder than ever before to keep the people of Paris safe."

He winked at her and leaped back through the little door in her ceiling. "I promise."

Marinette stared at the ceiling.

"Chat Noir believes in you," Tikki said, flying to her side. "Don't give up, Marinette. Paris still needs its hero."

Marinette's demeanor changed. She felt a surge of confidence and determination. Chat was right, they didn't catch the bad guy, but they could change that. They could work harder and figure this out. They could still save Paris.

"Tikki, spots on."

* * *

He caught the butterfly on his finger, yellow eyes almost glowing at the pleasure it brought him. The desire for chaos that laced its wings made guttural chortles bubble up from the depths of his being.

He flicked it up into the sky and watched it catch the wind and soar.

He laughed the laugh of a madman as he began to chase the insect.

He opened his mouth and crooned his twisted rhymes, trusting that the butterfly would deliver his message.

 _Flitter, flutter, Butterfly. Fly up high._

 _Up! Up! Up! In the dull, grey sky._

 _Flicker and dip and flutter and float._

 _Your dark wings like a demon's dread boat._

 _Oh, quiver away through seas of troubled souls._

 _The Huntsman will follow, wherever you go._

He giggled at his words, feeling the insatiable need for spilled blood rising within him again.

"You'll help the old Huntsman, won't you little one?" he asked the butterfly. "You'll find me the power I need to satisfy my thirst and I'll deliver treasures unknown to your feet. Rubies and diamonds and bugs and kittens. How rich you'll feel when my thirst is quenched."

Far away, in the isolation of his tower, Hawk Moth grinned wickedly at the words he heard. "Of course I'll help you, Huntsman. Our partnership will be one of legend by the time this is over. Follow my Akuma and I will show you the way to your next meal."

The Huntsman watched the butterfly dance in the air. He knew that someone had heard his song and desire, thanks to the butterfly. He was so happy he almost caught the insect and crushed it in his fist. "The Huntsman will follow, wherever you go," he sang again. "And Benny boy will follow the Huntsman! Aha!" He cackled. "And the Huntsman will crush his snake!"

* * *

 **Tis short. Sorry. Next is longer.**


	4. Taipan

**i write.**

* * *

Ladybug found Chat Noir in the same alley as the night before. He was crouched low to the ground, studying the pavement… Sniffing the pavement?

"Ahem."

Chat glanced up at her. "M'lady," he greeted. "That thing I saw last night… I don't know what it was, but…" He frowned.

Ladybug placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Kitty. It wasn't your fault."

Chat Noir shook his head. "I smelled blood last night. I didn't realize it at the time, but I know that's what I smelled." He stood. "Whatever killed those people, it was here last night. It was here and I made the call to walk away. I'm so sorry, Ladybug."

Ladybug winced when his voice cracked in that last sentence. She could see that he was beating himself up over walking away. The same as she had done to herself earlier. But his words had brought her back, so maybe she could return the favor.

"Chat Noir, we both made the call to leave last night. We both share the blame here, but we also had no idea what was happening. We made a mistake by leaving, but we can learn from that mistake. We can beat ourselves up or we can work twice as hard to make things right."

"Three times as hard, M'lady," he said with a grin. "I told you I wouldn't be 1UPed by a bug."

She laughed. "So then, let's get started."

The boy frowned again. "It's no good. I've been looking at every crack in this alley for a good twenty minutes already. There's no sign of an attack or struggle and all the rain washed away any scents that I might be able to pick up. Your lucky charm couldn't conjure up a Blood Hound, could it?"

"There's got to be something we're missing." Ladybug scoured the alley for a few minutes before crossing her arms and huffing in frustration. "There's nothing here."

Chat Noir caught his lady around the waist and vaulted them both up to the roof with his baton. When she started to scold him, he placed a hand over her mouth and looked very sternly at her, willing her not to make a noise.

They watched from their place of hiding as a man in a black, leather trench coat entered the alley. He wore a black biker mask that covered all but his eyes. Pulling his hands from his pockets, he bent down to touch the asphalt. He studied his fingers, lifted them to his mask, took a deep breath through his mouth, and returned his hands to his pockets.

After that, he left the alley.

Chat Noir released Ladybug from his grasp. They looked at each other, neither daring to make a sound. They saw a flash of movement behind them and spun around to face the masked man.

"If you were trying to hide from me, you didn't do a very good job of it," he said calmly. His eyes almost seemed to glow as he studied them. He pulled a hand from his pocket and stretched it out to them. His hands were gloved up to his knuckles, exposing the flesh of his fingers and the dirt he had wiped off the street below.

"If I'm not mistaken, your Kwami should have given you heightened senses." His eyes peered into Chat Noir. "You may have smelled this last night, but the rain was already washing away the scene by the time you two arrived. You wouldn't have smelled it today either, but I assure you that there is, in fact, traces of blood left in the grime."

Chat stepped in front of Ladybug, protectively. "How did you know we were here last night? What's this Kwami thing? Why are you here? How do you know about the blood?"

The man blinked. "Down, kid. I don't have time to answer all your questions, nor do I have any desire to. If you have any friends in the forensics department, I suggest you have them come out here as soon as possible. They might be able to pick up a trail for you." His fingers disappeared as his gloves seemed to grow and swallow them up.

The heroes gasped.

A ray of sunlight broke through the grey clouds, falling on the stranger and revealing flecks of gold hidden throughout his clothing. His leather trench coat opened slightly as a warm breeze passed over them. He wore a black bodysuit that appeared scaly. Almost like the skin of a snake.

"What are you?" Ladybug asked.

The man rolled his eyes. "This is why I hate working with kids. You get so distracted so easily." He sighed. "Name's Taipan. The suit has regenerative properties. I tore the fingers off; the suit grew them back. Stop gawking and get to work."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by a yoyo wrapping itself around one of his legs and a silver staff slamming into the ground in front of him.

"Can't let you _slither_ away so easily, scales," Chat Noir said with a cocky grin. "We have questions and you have answers."

Taipan took a breath, calming his nerves. "Don't be stupid, kids. I'm trying to help you."

Ladybug tightened her hold on his leg. "You show up at a crime scene with information on the crime and you expect us to just let you walk away without giving us any answers? People were murdered here, Taipan!"

"Okay, first off, this isn't a crime scene. Not technically. Not yet. Go get the cops and forensic guys and it will be. Second," his voice dropped into a sinister, low hiss. "Never corner a snake."

In less than a second Taipan kicked Chat Noir's legs out from under him, caught Ladybug's yoyo string and pulled her to himself, shoved his foot against Chat's throat, pinning him in place, and held Ladybug's arms in a lock behind her back with one hand. He held up his free hand and they watched as the tips of his gloves grew into sharp needles, dripping with some kind of liquid.

He stabbed one finger into the base of Ladybug's neck and let her fall to the ground. Taipan then turned and stabbed a second finger into Chat Noir's neck and released him.

He watched the kids struggle to regain their footing before ultimately collapsing onto the roof in a heap.

They opened their mouths, but no words came out.

Taipan crouched in front of them, holding up his hand and letting them watch the needles retreat into his gloves again.

"I've injected you with a neuromuscular-blocking agent. You can't speak, but you can hear. You can't move, but you can feel. I don't owe you an explanation, but seeing how truly stupid you both are, it would be irresponsible of me to let you continue running around, pretending to be heroes at a time like this. So I'm going to explain this once and if I see your eyes glaze over like you're not listening to me, I'm going to break your fingers. I suggest you pay attention."

Taipan sat cross-legged and looked up at the dreary sky. "How do I start this?" he mumbled. "Okay. Who I am isn't really important right now. I know about your Miraculouses and– I see those looks. No, I'm not interested in taking them." He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Listen, you kids have been having fun playing hero for a while now, but the real world has come to slap you in the face and it's time you do something about it.

"I've been on the trail of a serial killer who calls himself The Huntsman for a while now. His trail went cold about a year ago, but in the last few weeks, I've managed to pick up his scent again. The killings from last night and today are his calling card. Two couples dead and a kid left alive, but fading fast. That's how he gets attention. He's letting you know that he's on a spree and no one is safe from him. He wants you to try to find him and stop him. Don't."

Their eyes widened just slightly.

"I know that makes me sound like a bad guy, but people like The Huntsman love the limelight and both of you are dead center in it. If he gets your attention, he gets the attention of the media, and if that happens, he'll only kill that many more people. Leave him to myself and the police. Don't talk to any reporters or bloggers about any of this."

Ladybug slowly pushed herself up, opening and closing her mouth, trying to form words.

Taipan watched her. "You're stronger than you look," he hummed. He injected her and Chat Noir again, but this time with a shot of adrenaline to help cancel out the previous drug.

The kids rubbed their heads, moaning as they sat up.

Ladybug looked at him. "If… If we don't do something, he'll kill again and–"

"Make no mistake, kid. He probably already has."

"Hold on," Chat mumbled slowly. "You're saying—ow, my head—that if we try to stop this… this Huntsman, he'll only kill more people… because he wants attention. But…"

"But if he wants attention," Ladybug ground out, her words slurring slightly from the drug. "And we don't give him attention, won't he just kill more to try to get it?"

"Yes."

The kids looked angry.

Taipan facepalmed. "You really have a lot to learn, don't you? You're so used to these Akuma attacks where people have no control over their actions and you can hit the restart button and make everything butterflies and rainbows again. You don't understand the real world."

"Then explain it," they said in unison.

The man closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose. "Okay. Huntsman is going to kill with or without attention from the press. However, with the media, he'll feel the need to impress his following. He'll cover his tracks well, leaving only bits and pieces of evidence behind. Enough to taunt, but not enough to discover his whereabouts. If he is denied the attention he so craves, he will continue killing, yes, but he'll do so in frustration and anger. This will cause him to become rushed and sloppy, giving us an advantage over him."

"But people will still die," Chat Noir protested.

"You can't save everyone, kid. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good."

"WHAT?!"

Taipan held up a hand to silence him. "That's reality, kiddo. If you want to help, you can, but you'll need to keep your involvement on the down low. In a couple more minutes, the drug will wear off. Go to the police; tell them to check the alley for traces of blood. Don't tell them about me." He stood, watching them closely.

He reached back into his pocket and pulled out two, small, metal discs. Dropping them onto the ground he told them, "Use those to contact me when you need me. And don't bother me more than necessary. My breaking your fingers threat still stands."

With that, he leaped off the roof.

The heroes recovered faster than predicted, though, by the time they could stand without wobbling, there was no trace of Taipan anywhere.

Ladybug picked up the disks and handed one to her partner. They were gold with a single, black snake engraved into one side. The eye of the snake protruded from the disk. A button. She met Chat Noir's gaze.

"I don't know about you, M'lady, but I'm not about to sit back and do nothing while a serial killer is loose in Paris."

Ladybug smiled. "Glad we agree on that, Kitty. I'm not sure that I trust Taipan, but he did make some good points. Let's get the police to come check things out here. Then let's see if we can't get a drop on this Huntsman guy."

* * *

 **that's all for now.**


	5. Huntsman and Moth

Benjamin had been scrolling through the Ladyblog for a good five hours, picking apart every scrap of information he gathered. Eryn said she needed to get home to feed her thirteen, black cats before they rained down their destructive, bad luck on her apartment complex and cursed the next three generations of her family to live their lives in a constant state of misery and woe.

He rolled his eyes and sent her on her way, asking that she scrub any information about the day's events from the most popular super hero blog sights.

Now he sat by the fountain outside The Louvre waiting for his appointment with one miss Alya Césaire. He needed to discuss a few things with the avid blogger.

"Hi," a voice called from his right. "You must be Benjamin. I'm Alya. You wanted to talk to me about my blog?"

Benjamin smiled. Time to get to work. "Alya! Hi! It's so good to meet you. I've been away from Paris for a good five years and when I got back, I was certainly intrigued to hear about super heroes and super villains in our city. I didn't know much until I discovered your blog. Great work on it, by the way. I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping me out with a project."

"Um… thanks." Alya fidgeted a bit. "What kind of project?"

The twenty-something removed the glasses from his face, cleaning the lenses with the end of his shirt. He held them up to the waning light for inspection. "You see, miss Alya, I too am a journalist. I travel the world and right about the things I see. I have quite the following." He offered her a warm smile. She relaxed and sat beside him. "I'm impressed with your work and would like to do a piece about the heroes of Paris. From Ladybug and Chat Noir, all the way down to the simplest of kind acts that even a child can show. I'd like you to help me write it."

He watched her excitement grow.

"Your blog is already quite popular, but I have followers from all over the globe. Can you imagine having that for your blog? What do you say, Alya? Will you help me?"

The dark skinned girl jumped to her feet. "Are you kidding me? That would be amazing! When do we start?"

Kids. They were honestly just too easy.

Benjamin picked up a notebook he had laid beside him. "First thing's first. I need to make sure I've got my facts straight. I need you to tell me everything you know about Ladybug and Chat Noir. Even the smallest details. Can you do that?"

She smirked. "Of course. I know everything there is to know about them. Well… everything except for who they are underneath their masks. But I'm working on that."

"Good. Let's begin, then. Tell me everything."

* * *

Hawk Moth watched through the eyes of his Akuma as the white maned man scrambled up the tower in search of the perfect place to perch himself. He listened as the Huntsman mumbled and sang to himself about all he had planned and how he would squash the bug and skin the cat and crush the snake.

"And rubies and diamonds and bugs and kittens will be yours, my friend. But my throat is parched and the rain just won't do. Where is my river, red as scarlet and full of metal? Let me have my fill! Yes, let them scream my name! Come bugs and be crushed by my boot! Come cats and be swung by your tails! Come vipers and be skinned by your master!" He laughed giddily.

"But first I'd like a sandwich. Would you get me a sandwich, little friend?" he asked the butterfly.

It lighted on his finger, but did not absorb into his skin.

"Huntsman," a voice said in the back of his mind. "I am Hawk Moth. I want to help you catch the bugs and kittens."

"I thought you were a butterfly. My apologies, little moth. How are you on my finger and in my mind at the same time?"

"Oh, I have powers you cannot believe, my friend. Powers I could share with you to help you accomplish your goals."

Huntsman lifted the butterfly to his nose and scooted it on. "And will your words ring within the walls of my mind for long? The others aren't fond of company. Oh, well! I'll have whoever I want!"

The butterfly crawled across his scarred face. "Let me give you power, Huntsman. Let me into your head and we will be unstoppable. We will crush Ladybug and Chat Noir. We will take their Miraculouses and become the most powerful beings in the world."

Huntsman scratched his belly. "I don't like bugs or cats. Too tiny. Too hairy. I'll crush them, yes, but you know what I really want, moth man?" His voice dropped into a low growl. His eyes became focused and murderous. "I want Benny boy to find me. I want him to watch while I destroy his world. And…" he laughed sadistically. "I want to crush the snake's skull."

* * *

 **I somehow love Huntsman right now. Don't worry. He creeps me out as the story goes on.**


	6. One Week and a Friend

**To answer a question from the previous chapter: Yes. I can write longer chapters. Some of what I write is longer and some is shorter. It's okay. I write what feels natural and I try not to drag things out. Some people can do that and keep it interesting, but I don't care to. :)**

* * *

Six days passed without incident. People stayed in. Doors and windows were bolted. Businesses shut down early. Life seemed to come to a stand still as everyone sat and waited… waited for the next victim to appear.

The police had picked up a trail thanks to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but it had only gone so far. The Huntsman was good at covering his tracks.

With immanent danger looming at every corner, Adrien had had almost all of his photo shoots canceled making it easier to fit in extra patrols. Sometimes with his lady and sometimes without.

Chat Noir stood on the roof of a building watching the sun set on the horizon. Any other day, he would have considered it a breathtaking sight, but today it seemed only to be mocking him. The sun was leaving him to face darkness once more and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Where's the girl?" a voice asked from directly behind him.

Chat Noir yelped and spun around to look up into steely, grey eyes. He straightened, feigning confidence under the intense gaze. "Taipan, right? Wow, dude. Way to be creepy. Sneaking up on me wasn't all that cool, you know?" He twirled his baton. "So, uh, what've you been up to? And… why are you here?"

Taipan looked away from him. His eyes locked onto the sunset and he seemed to visibly relax. "Calm down, kid. I know I threatened you last time we spoke, but you and the girl have done pretty good at following my advice."

Chat grinned. "A compliment? I _serpent_ ly wasn't expecting that. Guess we can bury the hatchet and consider your vulgarity _hisss_ tory."

Taipan blinked. "Nah. The threat still stands."

Silence.

"So? Where's the girl?"

Chat Noir flinched when Taipan suddenly moved to the edge of the building and sat down. He followed hesitantly. "You mean Ladybug."

Taipan leaned back a bit, looking up at the sky. "Yeah. I didn't see her go back to the bakery, so I figured she was on patrol with you. So, where is she?"

Chat Noir stared. "Bakery? What are you talking about?"

Taipan's brow arched. "Are you telling me you don't know? I thought the dumb, model thing was just a cover. Guess I was wrong then."

"M-model?"

The man sighed. "Okay. I'm not being fair to you, Adrien. The Kwami uses some of its power to confuse the minds of those around you to help keep your identity secret. Thing is–seriously, stop with the gawking–someone like me who spends every waking moment obsessing over answering the unanswerable questions, doesn't have that hard a time getting around the Kwami's magic."

Chat Noir sputtered. "I- I don't… I mean- I'm not- A-Adrien? Who's that?"

Taipan chuckled softly. "You're really horrible at that, kiddo. Go on. Call me Adrien."

Chat blinked a few times. "Um… Hi, Adrien."

Taipan stared blankly back. "Who?" His gaze softened and his eyes squinted with the grin hidden behind his mask. "See? Short and sweet. Don't act like you've been caught. Play it dumb, but don't be dramatic. Now tell me you figured out I'm actually Adrien."

Taipan had been terrifying a week ago. Now he was sitting on the roof chumming it up like an old pal giving some friendly advice. Chat smiled, playing along. "I know you're actually Adrien."

"Oh, do you now?" the man questioned with an air of humor.

"Are you denying it?" Chat continued.

"Believe what you want, pal. I'm just plain, old me. I've got nothing to hide."

"So you are then?"

"No," Taipan said simply. "My name's not Adrien. Sorry to disappoint." With that, he stood and strolled away. He stopped after a few feet and made an about face. "See how that works, Adrien?"

Chat stared blankly at him. "I'm sorry, who?"

Taipan laughed. "So he can be taught!" He strode back to the ledge, reclaiming his seat next to the young hero. They sat in comfortable silence as they watched the sun disappeared from the sky.

Chat Noir glanced at him from the corner of his eye. The light of the moon reflected in the gold flecks of his armor, other than that, however, he was just a solid shadow in the night. It was somewhat unnerving.

Chat considered his friendliness. Why was he here? Had he come looking for him or just happened to be in the same area? Why was he suddenly showing kindness?

"I've been following you and the bug for the last few days," Taipan offered as though he had somehow read the boy's thoughts. "You could both stand to be more cautious with your transformations."

Chat deflated.

"I'm not scolding you," Taipan said, noticing his mood change. "Just offering some advice. Like the identity thing. You're both young and still fairly new at this. Your Kwamies help you with their power, but they can only do so much."

"Why are you here?" the blonde asked quietly.

Taipan shrugged. "I'm hunting a serial killer. Don't tell me you already forgot."

"No, I mean here specifically." He made a point not to look directly at the man. It was weird. He had no idea who this Taipan person was or whether or not he could be trusted, but, for some reason, this stranger clad in black and gold made him wonder what it would be like to have a brother.

Taipan grew silent. He lifted his gaze to the sky, drumming his fingers against his knees. "Yeah… Um…" He sighed. "I was asked to tail you and the girl for a colleague of mine. Just doing my job, y'know?"

Chat frowned. "Weren't you just giving me tips on how to lie, like, two minutes ago? You're not very good at it."

Taipan shrugged. "I was coaching you on how to make a person doubt their belief on the matter by falsifying their claims to your identity. I never said you had to outright lie."

"You looked me in the eye and told me you weren't Adrien."

"I'm not Adrien. You are. I'm a vigilante named after a snake who dresses up like a comic book character and has an ego so big, I require two identities." He smirked behind his mask. "See? I didn't lie."

Chat Noir couldn't help laughing at that. "Okay, Mr. Ego, then why are you really here?"

The man thought about it. "Truth?"

"That would be nice."

"Okay." He stood. "I really was _tailing_ you, kid. I noticed you seemed to be _feline_ down so I thought I'd put the _paws_ on my tough guy routine and see if I couldn't get you to crack another smile. After all, a depressed and witless Chat Noir would be a _cat_ astrophe of a hero to his beloved _Purr_ isians."

Chat grinned stupidly at him.

"Well, then… Seeing as how my work here is done-"

"Wait!" Chat Noir jumped to his feet. "I, um…" he faltered. "So you know where Ladybug lives?"

The man watched him carefully. "Yes. Though I don't think that's the question you originally intended to ask. I can't imagine why, but you and your partner seem adamant about keeping secrets from each other."

The blonde studied his feet. "Do… Do you have family here in Paris?"

Taipan stilled. Why would he ask that? What did it matter? "That's a bit personal, kiddo. I'm sorry. I can't answer that."

"But… Are you… Are you alone then?"

He had seen that same look in the eyes of a thousand different people. An emptiness longing to be filled. A single life lost in a sea of faces. A lonely child looking for acceptance from anyone who would dare give it. Taipan had seen the look a thousand times before, yet he had never seen it directed at him.

He had no intention of buddying up to the boy. He wasn't even sure why he had felt the need to cheer him up. Okay, so yes, he was. He had been Adrien once. A stranger to the world, surrounded by people yet always alone. Maybe he had pitied the kid. It wasn't normal for him, but it could happen.

He had been keeping Marinette out of trouble all week, after all.

But why was he suddenly so interested in these two, little idiots?

He could leave. He didn't owe Chat Noir an answer. He could turn and leave without a word. It wouldn't be out of character.

So then why did he find himself stepping closer to the boy?

"Kid," he said, quietly. "You're only as alone as you choose to be. Your mom's gone. You feel like your dad's abandoned you while still trying to control your life." Maybe he was being too harsh here. He hadn't expected the kid to flinch at his words. "Look, some family you're born with. You can't get rid of them and they can't get rid of you. Even if sometimes you feel like they have. But some family, you choose. They're the people you trust. The people who care about you because they want to. Like your friend Nino. Or that Marinette girl." He was thankful his smirk was hidden behind his mask.

Chat smiled weakly. "Nino's cool. And Marinette… Well, she cares about everyone."

He rolled his eyes. "Riiiight." He placed a single hand on the teen hero's shoulder. "Kid, people like that are the family you count on. You look to them. You learn to trust them. When you feel alone, you think of them. You're allowed to choose your family." He turned and walked away.

Chat Noir watched as the stranger was swallowed by the dark. "I don't know why," he mumbled. "But I think I'd like to choose you as my family too, Taipan." He looked out over his beloved city. The darkness had engulfed it and there was nothing he could do about it. Yet, within the darkness there shone thousands upon thousands of lights. And in the sky, the moon and stars broke through the clouds and cast their light upon him.

"No matter how dark it gets, there will always be light," he assured himself. "And I'll always look for that light. And I'll fight for that light."

His stomach growled. "But for now," he laughed. "I think I'll go find some place to eat."

* * *

 **Have a break form serial killers for a little while. When he comes back, it won't be pretty. You've been warned.**


	7. Dinner

**Friends and things. So nice. Don't get comfortable.**

* * *

Marinette ran down the street as quickly as she could. She had taken an extra patrol without telling Chat Noir, so that she could search the opposite side of the city. She knew if she had told him, he would have insisted on accompanying her in case of a run in with the Huntsman. Of course nothing like that had happened, but now she was blocks away from home, in the dark, with a tired and hungry Kwami in her purse.

So Marinette ran. And she ran fast.

As Ladybug she didn't have to worry about being out at night. As plain, old Marinette, however, she was as helpless as they came.

Lungs gasping for air and legs throbbing from being pushed so hard, she rounded the corner and slammed into a wall.

No. It wasn't a wall.

Walls don't catch you mid-fall and set you back on your feet.

"Marinette? Why are you out in the dark?"

The bluenette blinked at the voice. She looked up and, even in the dark, she couldn't mistake those eyes.

"A-Adrien?" She quickly jumped back, dusting herself off. "I am with you here- why you- I mean- are um- you're dark, I…." She buried her face in her hands. "Sorry. I'm, um… Sorry."

Adrien smiled at her. "Ooooookay. Are you alright? You know you shouldn't be out alone at night."

Marinette peeked out from behind her hands. "Yeah. I j-just let time get away from me. I, uh, I'm on my w-way home now so…"

Adrien considered her. "Okay. I'll walk you home then."

"O-oh. Nonono. You don't have t-"

Adrien's stomach growled, cutting her off. His eyes widened and a light blush dusted his cheeks. He was thankful the streetlights weren't bright enough for her to see it.

"Um… Are… are you hungry?"

The model laughed a little. "I guess you could say that. Come on," he grabbed her hand. "Your house is this way, right? Near the school?"

Marinette mumbled some unintelligible string of syllables. She could only imagine how red her face must be. Her fingers tingled at his touch. Her legs felt like jelly and she could swear her feet weren't even touching the ground.

Adrien Agreste was holding her hand.

ADRIEN AGRESTE WAS HOLDING HER HAND.

She could die.

"Marinette… Marinette?"

Aaaaand he was trying to talk to her and she was completely ignoring him. Way to go, Marinette.

"Huh? S-sorry, what?"

"I said your had feels cold. Are you okay?"

 _Of course I am, hot stuff. You're walking me home, holding my hand, the moon's shining down on us, and if you asked me to marry you, I'd ask you how many kids you wanted me to have._ "Oh, uh, y-yeah."

"You sure?"

She nodded.

He smiled warmly at her.

She screamed internally.

"H-hey, uh, Adrien? Why, uh…" _Spit it out, Marinette._ "Why were you out? Here. In the dark. I mean, y-you're not usually alone, um, right? Are… are you okay?"

He stifled a laugh. She really did care about everyone, didn't she? "Yeah, I was just out and let time get away from me," he said with a wink.

They shared a grin and continued to walk in silence. He still held her hand.

And then his stomach growled again.

Marinette giggled.

"What? Don't you ever get hungry?"

Before she could answer, his stomach moaned again. Marinette burst into a fit of laughter, tears falling down her cheeks. She gripped her sides as she giggled.

Adrien grinned. Marinette had seemed so tense over the last week. It was good to see her laughing. And her laughter was contagious, as he found himself joining in with her fit.

After a few minutes Marinette wiped the tears from her face and looked up at Adrien apologetically. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Adrien smirked, catching his breath. "It's good to hear you laugh." He took her hand again and gently pulled her along the street behind him.

* * *

"Marinette! You're back! Where were you? Why were you out past dark? Marinette, I'm asking you- Oh!"

Adrien waved a kind hello to his friend's mother. He explained that they both let the time slip away from them and bumped into each other a few blocks down the street.

Her parents were impressed by his taking responsibility in walking her home and invited him to stay and eat with them until his chauffer could come to pick him up.

Adrien gladly accepted the invitation and, after shooting Nathalie a quick text to explain what was going on and pleading quite desperately for her to let him stay and eat, he happily joined the Dupain-Cheng family at their table and dug into a delicious plate of breads, cheeses, meats, and pastries.

They sat and talked about anything and everything that came to mind, joking and laughing with each other again and again.

Marinette seemed to loosen up with the lightheartedness and even fell into witty banter battle between herself, Adrien, and her father.

By the end of the meal, Adrien was on cloud nine. He found himself wondering what it would be like to be a part of this family. To be accepted and loved and recognized…

Tom and Sabine busied themselves with gathering the dishes and putting away what was left of their meal. Sabine insisted that Adrien take some food home with him, only to have him politely refuse knowing that it would only be thrown away if he did. He asked if he could help clean up in any way, but ended up being shuffled into the living room with Marinette to set up for a family video game tournament.

Upstairs in Marinette's room, a small purse and a schoolbag sat side by side. Sitting on the desk were two Kwamies, sharing cookies and aged cheese with each other while swapping stories about their Miraculous bearers.

"It's funny how clueless humans can be, don't you think, Tikki?" Plagg asked, breaking off a piece of the cookie and smashing it into his mouth with a chunk of camembert.

Tikki could appreciate cheeses just fine, but watching her friend mix it with one of her precious sweets was enough to make her gag. "How can you eat the two together, Plagg?" she groaned. "And anyway, they're young and distracted. And we use our magic to help keep their secrets, even from each other."

"But," he took another bite. "They're so dense sometimes. Listen to them laughing down there. Adrien's eating this stuff up. You should tell Marinette to give him a break every now and then. Poor kid's lonely."

Tikki giggled. "Aww, Plagg, I didn't know you cared."

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm a cat. Of course I care. I just don't fuss over him the way you do your charges."

She scratched him behind the ear, laughing when he leaned in and began to purr.

When she pulled away, he shot her a glare. "That's not funny, bug."

Tikki shrugged. "Well, for your information, Marinette cares very deeply for Adrien."

"No, duh! The only one who can't see that is Adrien himself. But no, I mean…" he studied what was left of his cheese, suddenly not so interested in eating it. "Adrien likes Ladybug the same way Marinette like Adrien. Sure, they're both too stupid to put two and two together, but the kid's pretty miserable at home. He actually likes going to school, of all things! It'd be nice if Marinette could give Adrien a break as Chat Noir."

Tikki grinned at him, causing him to blush.

"Besides, the happier the kid is, the more cheese he gives me."

She threw a cookie at his head. "You never change, Plagg."

"Course not," he said cheekily, smearing more cheese on the cookie and munching down. "Why mess with perfection?"

* * *

 **Plagg is precious.**


	8. 24 Hours

**I'm back! Hi! Hi there!**

* * *

Benjamin sat by the window of his apartment going over notes and theories from the last week. This wasn't his first time dealing with the Huntsman, but he would see to it that it would be the last. He had received permission from the mayor to work alongside the police on this case and, currently, his abode was nothing but floor to ceiling notes, pictures, newspaper clippings, printouts, maps, clues, crime scene photos and details, and anything and everything that could possibly be tied to the serial killings both past and present.

He rubbed his tired eyes. Something was missing here. Some crucial detail had been overlooked by everyone and, if he could find it, he could find his killer.

He closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind. He needed to get a fresh start on this whole thing.

And then there were the Miraculous bearers. He had been asked by Master Fu to keep an eye on them. Help them, even. But how was he even supposed to do that?

He opened his eyes and stared out the window. Against the starlit sky, atop a building across the street, he saw the form of a man. He blinked.

So Taipan was getting involved after all. He sighed.

Why not? This level of crazy was his normal. He watched the figure disappear as though it had never been there.

He briefly wondered if he was seeing things.

* * *

Sabine ran down the hall calling for her family and Adrien to stop their game, lock the doors and windows, and turn on the news. A reporter came on the screen warning her viewers of the graphic imagery about to be shone.

A recording from a pedestrian's phone was then played showing the horrific scene of a wild, white haired man in a stained and ripped hoody holding some kind of small animal above his head with one hand and a crowbar in the other.

He stood on a beat up car, under a streetlight, and swung the animal around. His yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dim light and dark liquid oozed down his arm from the animal.

"Here, kitty kitty!" he cackled cruelly. "I want to play with you and your bug! Come and find me! Come and stop me! And bring my pet with you! If you don't, I'll kill more than just alley cats tomorrow night!"

Sirens were heard in the background. He frowned.

"Coppers are early tonight, wretch." He hopped off the car and threw the crowbar over his shoulder with a grin. He strode to whomever was holding the camera and yanked it from their hand, turning it to face them.

A young man cowered against the wall, a fresh and bleeding cut above his right eye. He whimpered and shook as the Huntsman giggled at him.

"Looks like I won't be feasting on your terror tonight, pet." He threw the dead animal at the man's face and turned the camera back on himself. "Come and find me bugs and cats and bring my snake. The Huntsman gives his word. Twenty-four hours of safety for your precious city. If my snake doesn't come, I'll find you and rip your arms off. And I'll find this wretch again. The Huntsman swears it."

He dropped the phone on the ground and disappeared.

The reporter's face appeared on screen once more. "This video was recorded only moments ago," she said shakily. "All roads in the vicinity are being shut down as the police–"

Tom turned the TV off. "That… that wasn't far from here," he muttered. To Adrien: "Your driver wasn't supposed to come and get you for another half hour, right? Call them and tell them the roads are closed and it's too dangerous for anyone to be out right now. You're staying the night here."

Adrien nodded slowly. His mind was reeling from what he had just witnessed. He glanced at Marinette and frowned slightly when he caught her wiping a tear from her cheek.

Tom and Sabine hurried to make sure their home was locked as tightly as possible.

Marinette was quite possibly in shock.

Without hesitation, he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. When she looked at him, he offered her a reassuring smile. He could see she was trying not to cry and he wanted desperately to say something, anything, to make her laugh again.

"Did you leave your phone upstairs?" she asked, looking away. "I'll go get it for you."

She started to walk away, but he held her hand tighter. "I'll go with you," he offered, maybe a little too quickly. He couldn't have her walking in and finding Plagg napping somewhere out in the open. Little guy probably wouldn't think to hide on his own.

"O-okay… I, uh, um… okay."

He followed her up the stairs. It was somewhat disappointing when she stammered. She hadn't done that for nearly an hour. But… it was also kind of cute.

Once upstairs, Adrien was relieved to find his Kwami napping silently in his schoolbag. He plucked his phone out from beside his little friend and made the call.

Nathalie wasn't fond of the idea of leaving him overnight, but her opinions didn't mean anything when Adrien's father personally took the call. He actually sounded worried about his son, much to Adrien's surprise, but he agreed that it would be safest for the boy to remain with his friend until morning.

Adrien hung up with a smile and turned to face Marinette. "So, couch, right?"

The bluenette's cheeks grew red. "Oh, uh, I mean you c-can, but uh, we do have Agreste room– A GUEST ROOM!" She looked away quickly.

He grinned. Maybe Taipan was right. If he really could choose his family, he wouldn't mind having Marinette and her parents as a part of it. "Sounds good. Mind showing me where it is?"

She nodded. "Yeah, uh, sure." She led him back down to the kitchen, around the corner, and down the hall.

A small, cozy room with a full bed beside a window, a nightstand, and a chest of drawers awaited him. The bathroom was across the hall. He was welcome to anything in the kitchen should he want a midnight snack.

Adrien placed his bag on the bed and looked around with a warm smile on his lips. He couldn't remember a time he had felt so welcomed and relaxed in another person's home. Even his best friend couldn't offer the level of comfort the Dupain-Cheng family did.

"Hey, uh," Marinette started, pulling him from his thoughts. "You like Ladybug and Chat Noir, right? I mean, you… keep up with them…"

Adrien felt himself begin to panic. Had she seen Plagg? Had he let something slip? Did she suspect him in any way?

He opened his mouth to speak, then remembered what Taipan had told him. He took a breath and looked at her nonchalantly. "Yeah, I guess. I read what Alya writes and I've seen them in action once or twice. Why do you ask?"

She stared out the window, twirling one of her pigtails absentmindedly. "Do… Do you think they'll be able to find this guy and stop him?"

Adrien noticed two green eyes peeking out of his bag. He calmly laid a hand over the opening and sighed. "I don't know, Marinette. I think they'll do everything they can and I think we need to trust them." He felt Plagg's head press against his palm. "I think that as long as Paris stands behind its heroes, everything will turn out right. We can't let Ladybug and Chat Noir down by doubting them."

She nodded. Though, she didn't seem convinced.

Adrien rubbed a hand through his hair. "Things will work out, Marinette. Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't the only heroes in Paris. As long as we all stand together, we'll find a way to stop this Huntsman guy."

She did smile at that. "Yeah. You're right. Uh, you probably want to get to sleep after, well, everything, so, uh…" she inched her way out the door. "My parents are, um, right down the hall. You know. If you need something."

The blonde nodded. "Thanks. Good night."

She slipped out the door and closed it, muttering a quick good night.

Adrien waited until he heard her footsteps fade away to fall back on the bed. Plagg flew out of his school bag and floated above his face with a piece of cheese in his arms.

"Tell me you at least noticed her room was covered in pictures of you."

Adrien blinked. "What?"


	9. Setting the Stage

It was around 2am when Marinette climbed onto her balcony and transformed into her other self. She tossed her yoyo and swung through the night air, determination fueling her every movement. She soon found herself under a streetlight, inspecting the crime scene from earlier. She could only imagine how scared the man must have been when he was attacked and dragged from his car by the monster calling himself Huntsman.

"I thought I'd find you here," a voice purred behind her.

Ladybug turned to her partner with a frown. "We've got to find him tonight, Chat Noir. We shouldn't have waited so long to go after him. If we hadn't of listened to Taipan–"

"Taipan isn't that bad," Chat interrupted. "I was talking to him earlier today and he actually seems like a nice guy when he's not being all intense."

Ladybug's jaw dropped. "Are you insane?" she shouted. "You talked to him? Chat Noir, we don't know that we can trust him!"

Chat frowned. "Sure we can. He knows our secrets and he's not telling anyone, so–"

"He knows our secrets?! You told him who you were?"

"He figured it out. He knows who you are too, but he didn't tell me, so don't worry about it."

"How can I possibly not worry? For all we know he's working for the Huntsman!" She couldn't believe her partner could be so foolish. "He's the one who told us not to go after this guy! He's probably been setting us up the whole time for this moment. People could die because of us, Chat!"

Chat Noir stepped in front of her, a stern look on his face. "This isn't your fault, Ladybug."

She stilled.

"I get it. We're the heroes of Paris and we're supposed to stop the bad guys and save the day, but we failed to do that. I let the Huntsman get away the first time so if you're going to blame someone, blame me, but none of this was your fault." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you're right about Taipan. Maybe we shouldn't trust him. But I _do_ and I hope you can trust me."

Her mind reeled. Of course she trusted Chat. He was her partner! But she didn't trust anything about this situation. What if Chat was being manipulated? He had never let her down before, but he could so easily be wrong. So could she.

She doubted it.

Ladybug looked into Chat Noir's eyes. He was very close to her. She stepped away. "I do trust you, Chat. But… what if–"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," a voice said, shattering the moment. He stepped out of the shadows, adjusted his glasses, and stood directly under the streetlight. "Ladybug and Chat Noir. I was hoping to run into you. Name's Benjamin. I'm a private investigator working on the Huntsman case."

Ladybug frowned. Wasn't this the same guy who caught her nearly a week ago when she slipped on the street? The same guy who claiming to be a journalist and blogger that Alya couldn't stop talking about? Had he been waiting in the dark all this time, hoping for them to show up?

His smile made her uncomfortable.

"A private investigator?" she asked. "Really?"

Benjamin watched her coolly. "That's what I said, Ladybug."

Chat Noir looked between the two of them. "Do you know this guy, M'lady?"

She forced herself to relax. "I've seen him around. I even overheard him telling someone he was a blogger."

"A farce, of course," Benjamin offered. "I was gathering intel."

"On us?"

His smile didn't waiver. "Perhaps we could discuss this back at my place. Talking to a teenage girl in the middle of the street, in the dead of night doesn't exactly look good on my part."

Chat grinned. "And inviting that same person back to your home does?" He stepped in front of his partner, silently challenging the other.

At this point Benjamin did lose his smile, replacing it with a mixture of horror and embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that," he hissed. "I just wanted your help—both of you—on the case!"

His cheeks heated up and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, yeah, this whole meeting is a little on the creepy side, right? So let me start over."

They watched him carefully.

"My name is Benjamin Dubois. I've been on the trail of a serial killer calling himself the Huntsman for about seven years now. I recently followed his trail back to Paris and am now working, by order of the mayor, with the police on tracking this mad man down.

"Yes, I have been posing as a journalist for the sake of gathering information on the two of you, but that was because," he paused to look up and down the street. "The information gets sensitive at this point, so I'd prefer to discuss who I am, what I'm doing, and how you're both involved in a more secure location." He gestured back the way he came. "You have no reason to trust me, but I do need your help."

Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other.

Benjamin sighed. "I can also give you some information on Taipan."

* * *

Ladybug was overwhelmed looking around the cluttered room. She still wasn't sure who exactly Benjamin was, but he looked more like a conspirator than anything else with all the theories, maps, photos, and notes scattered from floor to ceiling on every wall.

"Does all of this have to do with Huntsman?" she asked.

Benjamin looked up from the file folder he had been flipping through and nodded. "Most of it, anyway. Some had to do with the two of you."

Chat Noir scoffed. "What for? We're heroes, not bad guys."

The man busied himself with his work, offering a halfhearted, "You can never be too sure."

The masked bluenette stepped to the nearest wall and studied the hundreds of pages pinned to it. Chat Noir stayed close to her, watching their host from the corner of his eyes. She rolled her eyes at his possessive behavior.

"So, Benjamin, first thing's first." She turned to face him. "Tell us what you know about Taipan."

At this, Benjamin put his files down. He removed his glasses from his face and cleaned them with the tail of his shirt. His eyes fixated on the ceiling as if he were lost to his own thoughts. After a few seconds, he placed his glasses back on his nose and offered the teenagers his full attention.

"Taipan…" he paused. "Well, he's a jerk."

"Noted," Ladybug said coldly.

Ben smiled. "He's a jerk. He's tactless. He has little patience. He's a vigilante, so he could almost be considered a criminal, but… but you can trust him."

Chat Noir laughed in triumph. Finally, someone agreed with him.

"I mean, I don't know the guy that well, but I know he's as determined as anyone to bring the Huntsman down. I know that he's saved my neck a couple times over the last few years. I know that any time I lose track of Huntsman, within days, Taipan has dropped a trail of breadcrumbs at my doorstep." He looked out the window. "I overheard you saying he's spoken with you. If that's true, he must see something in you that he thinks could aid in bringing Huntsman down. And now that Huntsman has targeted you," he turned back to them. "I guess it's safe to say he was right."

Ladybug nodded. Chat beamed.

* * *

The sky was beautiful at night. It soothed him to see all the tiny dots of light littering the atmosphere. Tiny explosions throughout the cosmos brought a smile to his face.

"Little friend," he crooned. "You speak of monsters and mayhem yet I see only the usual wretches in this world. Where are the demons you've promised me?"

He was laid out on his back in the grass with his legs propped up against a wall. The Akuma landed on his left foot, its voice filling his mind again.

"Ah, Huntsman, all you must do is open your mind to me and I will gladly make you the monster you could only dream of."

Running a hand over his face, he groaned. "There are enough voices in my mind. Too many at times, but they keep me company when there are no screams to be heard." He ripped some hair out of his head and threw it in the air, giggling as he did so. "But you, my precious terror, you can do more than simply make me your puppet." His voice calmed and his eyes focuses. "And if you try to control me, I'll kill more than just your winged pet, my friend."

Hawk Moth frowned at that. Didn't this man think he was talking to the Akuma? Was he, perhaps, more aware than he'd previously thought?

"But, moth man," the killer continues, his voice far from insanity and unnervingly calm. "I've done some reading while you weren't watching. I've got you figured out." He sat up suddenly, catching the insect in his hand. "Your gift is special. You wish to utilize my talents, yes? But I too have plans for you. So let's make a game of it, shall we?" He plucked a wing of the bug. "I plowed the fields in preparation for your harvest. The hearts of the people are full of fear and frustration. Bring me my demons and you'll have your trinkets. Or perhaps there's something precious I could take from you." He tore the other wing.

Hawk Moth sneered. "You dare use petty threats as a means of manipulating me?"

Huntsman stroked the head of the Akuma. "Is that not how the game works? You've been trying to make me a puppet for well over a week now, but you've failed at every turn. Instead, you took me for an imbecile and made me promises in order to make me do your work. Well, dear Hawk Moth, the tables have turned. I've issued a challenge to your Miraculous wearers—something I've never done before—so you had better pray they show up tomorrow night."

He began to laugh. Not the senseless giggling that came to him in fits, but a deep and sinister laugh bubbled from deep in his chest. "Your family is so small, Hawk Moth. How would it be if the Huntsman came for a visit some time?"

Silence.

"I thought so." He popped the Akuma's head off.

* * *

After a good half hour of overviewing and breaking down as much information as he could, Benjamin sat back and watched as Ladybug and Chat Noir immersed themselves in learning all they might about their culprit. They started out asking question after question, but ended up falling into their own conversations, theorizing in hushed tones, shouting in exclamation at their 'aha' moments, and concocting plans on how they could track and trap the serial killer without anyone else getting hurt.

Benjamin watched them curiously, his face stoic and void of emotion. This was what he did. He asked hundreds of questions, categorized those questions according to which were most relevant to the current situation, and discovered the answers to those questions by any means necessary.

Whether that meant posing as a journalist, a blogger, a federal agent, a concerned citizen, a politician, or even, on occasion, a fanboy. Sometimes he joined crime circles. Sometimes he worked with the police. He did what was needed to get the answers he required.

Watch over Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Help Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Teach Ladybug and Chat Noir.

But why? What was the purpose of this request? Why was he so essential to the master? What was the old man really planning?

And how was it that the Huntsman happened to show up in Paris only days after he arrived?

He watched the kids work. They learned fast. They figured things out. The did everything with fervent passion, striving for their goal, allowing nothing to get in the way of them protecting their city and the people within it.

They fought not only for the population as a whole, but for the individual as well. They were… intriguing.

But why was he needed?

Huntsman had broken pattern by outright challenging them on local news. Normally when a serial killer broke pattern, it meant he was about to go on a spree, get sloppy, leave trails. People would get hurt, but the killer would be less difficult to catch. This, however, seemed different.

Benjamin asked questions. He found answers. He had studied human behavior for years.

Nothing about this seemed right. So he kept his mouth shut. He observed. He took mental notes. He picked apart details. He asked silent questions.

He looked at his watch. "You kids are in school, right?"

The heroes looked back at him.

"It's already almost 5 AM and I'm guessing you have face to keep in your other lives." He didn't wait for an answer. "How about you two head out, get some sleep, and come back if you decide you need to."

Suddenly feeling very sleep deprived, the teenagers agreed. They took their leave, each jumping out the window and swinging or vaulting off in different directions.

Benjamin crossed the room to study their work. They had pulled pages and pictures from the walls and strewn them across the floor. He found the pattern in the details they had picked up on and smiled. They were amateurs of course, but they learned fast.

They were creating a plan and working out how they might set the stage for what was to come in the near future.

Benjamin looked out his window and froze when, atop a building across the street, he noticed a dark figure looking back at him.

They stared at each other for several seconds before the figure turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Benjamin locked the window and closed the curtains.


	10. The Game Begins

The day started with a frantic Kwami shaking her awake. She was going to be late for school if she didn't get moving, but she was still so exhausted from the past night. She figured she could just tell people that, after the events from the news, she was too upset to sleep, so she stayed awake all night. Maybe her teachers would show her mercy if she happened to fall asleep in class.

Marinette rushed down the stairs, as soon as she was dressed, to grab breakfast. It was only then that she remembered Adrien was asleep in the guest room.

Adrien was asleep.

In the guest room.

In her home.

She could have died from excitement.

She wondered how she should handle this. Was he awake? Was he still asleep? Should she go check? Should she get her parents to? What if he was already awake and had already left for school? Had she missed seeing him?

"Oh, wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one running late this morning?" Adrien said, interrupting her inner monologue.

Marinette spun around to face him, the croissant she had been eating still hanging from her mouth. She quickly snatched up another and offered it to him.

He gladly accepted, yawning before he could take the first bite.

"How'd you sleep?" Marinette asked. He looked exhausted. Had the mattress been too firm? Too soft? Was he uncomfortable last night?

"Great," he answered with a smile. "I mean, it was kind of hard to fall asleep after… you know… but once I did…"

Marinette thought that if his smile got any bigger his head would rip.

"Can I have another one of these?"

She picked up the plate of fresh breads and held it out to him. "Take as many as you like."

And there was the smile aaaaaaand… his face didn't rip.

"Thanks! What about you? How'd you sleep?" Adrien moved to her side, leaning against the counter as she did.

Marinette's smile faltered. "Same, I guess," she answered quietly.

He nudged her side with his elbow. "Things will get better, Mari. You'll see."

Marinette caught his eyes. They looked at each other for a few seconds.

Then they remembered they had both overslept and were going to be late for school if they didn't get moving.

Taking a few more croissants off the plate, the teenagers headed downstairs and out the door.

"So, uh, did you have extra clothes with you or…"

Adrien laughed shyly. "Yeah, it's just a model thing, I guess. I always have extra clothes with me. Photo shoots and stuff."

They crossed the street in silence, though it wasn't actually that awkward. They were just happy to be out doing normal, mundane things after all they had been through.

"So, I really did have fun with your family," Adrien said as they entered the school yard.

"Yeah?" Marinette willed herself to calm down. The longer she spent talking to Adrien, the easier it got to control her blabbering. "I really had fun too. I mean, we all did. We like you and you should come over more often. If you want to, I mean."

"I definitely wouldn't be opposed to it. I might even beat you at video games one day, if I played against you enough."

Marinette laughed. "Suuuuure, Adrien. Whatever you say."

"Oh, come on," he said, elbowing her again. "You're a total Jedi with video games, and-"

"You could be my Padawan?" she finished.

Adrien laughed. "Thank you, Marinette, for being a dork."

She smiled.

They continued to talk and joke about anything that came to mind until they reached their class.

It seemed that everyone, including the teachers, were a little late this morning. They found their friends already seated and took their places in the class.

Alya watched Marinette with a grin. She leaned over and quietly demanded an explanation. "Girl, you were talking to Adrien like a normal person just now. What's going on?"

Marinette started to answer, but thought better of it. If she told Alya that Adrien had stayed the night at her house and someone overheard her, it could easily be blown out of proportion and start a thousand unwanted rumors. "I'll tell you later. Promise."

When she turned back to face the front of the class, she noticed Adrien looking at her. His eyes darted to something by her feet before returning to meet her gaze. She looked down and saw a note by her foot.

 _Hang out later? You, me, Nino, and Alya?_

Marinette motioned for her friend to look down at the note. They smiled, nodding to the boys in front of them.

At that moment, Chloe burst through the door, feigning distress, and threw herself at Adrien and Nino's desk. "Oh, Adrikins!" she cried. "I was so worried about you all last night! When I found out what had happened, I had daddy call your father and when I heard you weren't even home," she cried dramatically, laying the back of her hand against her head. "How horrible it must have been for you to have to spend the whole night with that dreadful Marinette!"

Every person in the room locked their eyes on the two of them. Alya's mouth dropped. Marinette's face drained of color. Adrien blushed. Everyone else immediately started whispering and giggling.

Chloe saw the look of horror on Marinette's face and smirked. She sauntered over. "And you! Kidnapping Adrien and dragging him to your house in the middle of the night? You should be ashamed of yourself."

Marinette tried to speak, but couldn't find her voice.

"That's not what happened, Chloe. Leave her alone," Adrien said, frustration evident in his voice.

The class oohed and snickered. Some demanded an explanation. Others blurted out their guesses, causing more laughter and blushing.

Alya stood and yelled for everyone to back off. She gave them the option of shutting up or being shut up by her.

The students quieted down.

The teacher finally came in and, after everyone was seated, began her lesson.

Chloe looked more than pleased with herself as Marinette practically melted into her seat, horror filled and willing herself to disappear.

After everything that had happened, did she really have to deal with this too?

* * *

The day passed too slowly. Sneers and smirks and whispers and giggles accompanied Marinette and Adrien wherever they went. It was horrible. And when they tried to explain, it only made matters worse.

When school finally let out, Adrien was shocked to receive a message from his father, directing him to return to the home he had stayed in the night before until his bodyguard was sent for him.

Adrien looked around the schoolyard for Marinette. He saw her talking to Alya—she looked exhausted from all the questions the blogger must be asking—and started to walk to them.

He stopped suddenly. Maybe asking if he could stay at her house again wouldn't be a wise thing to do where anyone and everyone could see. Instead, he crossed the street, walked a few block, and crossed again to get to the bakery.

The bakery.

Hadn't Taipan said something about a bakery? Hmm.

He opened the door and walked up to the counter.

"Oh, Adrien," Sabine greeted. "I'm sorry my husband and I didn't get to talk to you this morning. We were surprisingly busy."

"It's okay," Adrien said. "Thank you for leaving the croissants out. They were delicious."

Sabine smiled. "Would you like something to eat? Go ahead and pick anything. Marinette should be home soon. Would you like to go upstairs and wait for her? You can watch TV or play some games."

Tom walked in from the kitchen. "Sabine, don't pester the boy." He laughed and looked at Adrien. "I'm sorry, son. We don't mean to hold you up if you need to get going, but you are certainly welcome to stick around if you want."

He scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I got a message from my father and, well, could I hang out here for a little longer?" He smiled sheepishly.

Sabine and Tom lit up. "Well, of course," they chorused. "Stay as long as you need to."

He stayed in the bakery for a while, eating his hachis parmentier with great pleasure until he saw Marinette walking up to the door.

She bounded into the bakery apologizing for taking so long to get home. Her mother only laughed at her and pointed to the small table where her crush was sitting. Sabine quickly explained that he was staying with them until his chauffer came to pick him up and shooed the two back upstairs.

It was a little awkward at first. Marinette took a few minutes to make her sentences coherent. But once they were settled, they were able to act as though the tormenting from their classmates earlier had never happened.

They played video games for a few hours. Marinette let Adrien win a few for the sake of watching his face light up at his victory. They talked, and joked, and laughed, and, finally, Tom and Sabine came upstairs to get dinner going.

Adrien checked his phone periodically, but found no news from his father or Nathalie. A part of him was concerned, but more than anything, he was happy to be spending more time with his chosen family.

And then it was dark.

Adrien twirled the coin Taipan had given him between his fingers under the table. Everyone was still talking happily, but the mood had clearly changed as the memory of Huntsman's twenty-four hour challenge came back to mind. It wouldn't be long until that time was up and if Chat Noir and Ladybug didn't show up with his snake—they had decided the night before that he must have been referring to Taipan—more people would be killed.

A spree had been promised and they could only wait for it to happen if Adrien couldn't find a reason to leave and transform. Maybe he could say guerrilla was waiting outside for him. But then, where would he go if he couldn't go home and he couldn't go back to the Dupain-Cheng's?

He turned the coin over in his hand again. Would Taipan even show up to help them?

They could trust Taipan, couldn't they? Benjamin said they could, but he wasn't sure he trusted Benjamin. Something about that guys was… off.

Adrien considered Taipan to be a friend. He didn't know much about him, but the vigilante had treated him like a real person, not a super hero, not a stupid kid, and not a famous model. He had made Adrien feel totally normal for at least a few minutes.

But what if Ladybug was right and Taipan and Huntsman were working together? What if he was being manipulated?

What if he really was neither good nor bad, but fighting his own, personal battle, and didn't care about what might happen if he didn't show up to meet Huntsman when the time came.

Adrien checked his phone. Still nothing from home. What was going on?

* * *

Hawk Moth readied himself. It would take a tremendous amount of power and concentration to do what he had to. His window opened fully and he counted the seconds. It wouldn't be long now.

A single Akuma flew through the opening and soared through Paris' night sky. It searched and searched, but could not find its target. Finally, after nearly an hour, it returned to the tower.

Hawk Moth seethed. How had he lost the Huntsman? How had that nitwit slipped through his fingers so easily? And how could he possibly be expected to follow through on his part of the plan if he couldn't trust Huntsman to keep up his end?

He sent out another Akuma. And then another. And then another.

He had to find Huntsman. This was about more than just getting his Miraculouses.

In a small coffee shop near Notre Dam, a gentleman sipped at his latte with a smile on his lips as he watched the butterflies dance through the air. His white hair was slicked back, his face clean and smooth, his yellow eyes broke away from the window and danced around the room, observing the few brave enough to be out at this hour.

A girl with turquois hair walked in the door and looked around. Her eyes fell on him and she smile.

The man straightened his tie and adjusted the collar of his white, button down shirt. He motioned for the girl to join him and, without hesitation, she did.

"Hey!" The girl greeted. "You must be Dr. Lucas Moreau. I'm Eryn," she extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Moreau stood. He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "The pleasure is mine, miss." He pulled out the seat across from him for her to sit in. Once seated, he handed her a flash drive. "Miss Eryn, I'm glad you met me. I've heard of your computer skills and I could certainly use your help with these files. Money is no object here, my dear. Take a look and name your price."

The hacker beamed and plucked the flash drive from his hand.

Moreau watched as she pulled a laptop from the bag hanging from her shoulder and slipped the drive in. Her fingers went to work decoding the files and he couldn't hide his grin.

"You and that Agreste business rivals or something, Dr. Moreau?"

"Something like that," the man answered with a wink.

He loved it when pieces fell into place.

* * *

Marinette and Adrien had excused themselves their respective rooms to 'do their homework.' Neither offered to work together and neither seemed to have a problem with it.

Marinette had waited about five minutes before transforming and Adrien gave a good fifteen minutes before he chose to leave.

They met up not far from where the challenge had been issued the night before.

There was no sign of the Huntsman, Benjamin, or Taipan.

They waited in silence. Painful silence. And then it happened. Slowly, the stars began to disappear from the sky. It didn't take long to figure out what was going on.

Ladybug and Chat Noir felt their hearts drop as the watched the massive swarm of thousands upon thousands of Akumas fall from the sky and consume the hearts of the people of Paris.

"Tic toc." THUNK!

The heroes spun around to see a white haired aristocrat with a bloodstained shirt standing under a streetlight. In front of him was the mangled corpse of what had once been a girl with brightly colored hair.

"You didn't bring my snake, kids. Now Paris is gonna pay."


End file.
